Latch



(No Model.) E. 3. WHEELER.

LATGH.

Hung??? Wiigassgs: I lgael ir -UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ENOCH S. WHEELER, OF ALBANY MlSsOURl.

LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 420,586, dated February4, 1890.

Application filed August .19, 1889- $erial No. 321,284. (No model.)

To wZZ whom it may concern; Y,

Be it known that I, ENOOH S. WHEELER,a citizen of the United States,residing at Albany, in the county of Gentry and State of Missouri, haveinvented a new and useful Latch, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has relation to latches for gates, doors, lids, &c.; andamong the objects in view are to provide a simple and easilyconstructedautomatic latch capable of engaging the catch upon a door-frame,gate-post or box, said catch being designed for the reception of apadlock or seal, and also to provide a latch adapted for engaging a studor catch secured to the wall or other fixed obj ect when the door or lidis thrown to an open position.

With these general objects in view the invention consists in certainfeatures of construction hereinafter specified, and particularly pointedout in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a general view of a door in aclosed position provided with'a latch constructed in accordance with myinvention, the door being shown by dotted lines in an open position.Fig. 2 is an inner rear view of the latch plate or housing; Fig. 8, adetail of the latch detached; Figs. 4 and 5, similar details inperspective of the two catches.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

1 represents the housing, preferably formed of cast metal and providedat both sides with integral flanges or lugs 2, perforated as at 3, forthe reception of screws a, taking into the face of the door, gate, orlid. Pivoted near the rear end and in the housing, as at 6, is the latch7, the forward end of which proj ects through a slot 8, formed in thefront end of the housing and beyond said edge, and terminates in atransversely-disposed head 9 longitudinally slotted, as at 10, said slotbeing transverse with relation to the body of the latch. At either sideof the head are pro vided small eyes 11 for 'the connection with theterminals of suitable latch-strings 12, one

- of which has its free end passed through an aperture 12*, formed inthe door above the latch, and depends upon the opposite side of thedoor.

13 represents a spring interposed between the upper edge of the body ofthe latch in front of its pivot and the housing, the tendency of thespring being to depress the latch.

14 represents a catch having the usual inclined front end 15, the notch16, and intermediate the notch and inclined end a perforation 17.Screw-openings 18 are formed near the rear end of the said catch, bywhich said catch is secured at a convenient portion of the door-casing.

The door being swung to a closed position, the upper edge of thetransverse slot of the latch abuts against and rides up the inclinedfront end of the catch, and when beyond the notch drops into the sameand is made fast. If desired, a padlock may be connected with theopening 17 of the catch and prevent the withdrawal of the latch from thecatch, or a seal-wire may be employed in instances where my invention isapplied to crates, boxes, &c.

20 represents a second catch secured to the wall or gate-post at theopposite sides of the door or gate, and is provided with the opening 21,through which a screw is passed, said catch being for the purpose ofengaging the transverse slot of the latch when the door is swung to anentirely open position.

Having described my invention, what I claim isv 1. The combination, witha door, of a housing secured thereto, a spring-actuated latch pivotedtherein and terminating at its front end and beyond the housing in ahead having a vertically-disposed slot, and a catch mounted in adoor-casing and one in the wall and both in line with the latch, thelatter catch having a plain upper edge and adapted to engage the latchmerely by friction, said latch being designed to engage either one inaccordance with the direction. in which the door to which it is securedis swung, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the door having a perforation, of a housinglocated below the perforation and provided with lateral perforatedsecuring-ears, screws inserted through the cars into the face of a door,a latch. pivoted at its rear end in the housing and proj ected through aslot in its edge and termi nating in a transverse vertical slot, and staples mounted in. opposite edges of the latch,

a spring arranged above the latch and fore- In testimony that I claimthe foregoing as ing the same downwardly, and oppositely-an my own Ihave hereto afiixed my signature in ranged catches secured to thedoor-casing presence of two Witnesses. and opposite wall and adapted toengage the 5 transverse slot in accordance with the direc- ENOOH S.WVI'IEELER.

tion in which the door is swung, and latchoperating strings connectedwith the staples, \Vitn esses:

one of which has its end passed through the JOSEPH BURGETT, perforationin the door, substantially as speci- J NO. L. FERGUSON. 7 IO fied.

